Drive mechanism for clothes washing machines



July'24, 1956 J. A. CASTRICONE 2,755,651

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES Original Filed May 15, 19475 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. r/ofizz fl as 57 160126 y 24, 1956 J. A.CASTRICONE 2,755,651

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES Original Filed May 1947 3Sheets-Sheet 2 I 1 7/ g v t I} v} w i 1 ii 1}? l 1; 70,,36 35 M Il 1 k/l I 7 30 3/ 4111 /Z9 39 \mlllllll' MENTOR (70%]? Q 6 223571 C'Ofi .13 BYu y 1956 J. A. CASTRICONE I 2,755,651

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES Original Filed May 15..194'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 v E: nu HH j M g4? 53 4 6 445 2 7 DRIVEMECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES John A. Castricone, Peoria, Ill.,assignor to Altos-fer Bros. Company, Peoria, 111., a corporation ofIllinois Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 748,327, May15, 1947. This application March 14, 1952, Serial No. 276,659

7 Claims. (Cl. 68-131) This application is a substitute for myapplication, Serial No. 748,327, filed May 15, 1947 (now abondoned).

This invention relates to clothes washing machines, and particularly toa drive mechanism for washing machines employing dashers rotated in anorbital path.

In my prior patent, No. 2,416,611, granted Feb. 25, 1947, I fullydescribed and illustrated a washing machine employing a dasher powerdriven in an orbital path within the washing machine tub withoutsubstantial axial rotation. The mechanism for so driving the dasherincluded a center post extending from the bottom of the tub toapproximately the top of the dasher. Through this center post the dasherwas both power driven and supported.

Analysis of the structure readily discloses that the entire dasher driveis through a single crank pin located on the top of the center post andthat the comparatively tall and slender center post must withstand allthe reaction stresses resulting from the dasher contact with theclothes. It will be appreciated also that the interior of the dasher isso filled with mechanism that the space within the dasher is notavailable for any other purpose should such a need develop.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a drivemechanism for an orbital movement dasher that will eliminate theconventional center post and concentrate the mechanism in the bottom ofthe dasher closely adjacent the bottom of the tub.

Another object is to provide a simple sturdy mechanism for driving anorbital movement dasher without axial rotation.

A further object is to provide a dasher drive mechanism wherein thedasher is completely supported from its base.

A further object is to provide a dasher driven mechanism wherein theneed for a hollow center section of the dasher is eliminated.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism for driving an orbitalmovement dasher wherein the drive shaft of the mechanism may be offsetfrom the dasher and the tub center to provide more compact and betterbalanced drive.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the followingdescription and in the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken front elevational view of a washing machine, partlyin section, to disclose my new compact orbital dasher drive;

Fig. 2 is a broken top plan view of the washing machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged central sectional view on the line 33 in Fig. 4,of an optional form of my drive mechanism wherein the drive shaft isoffset from the center of a dasher having radiating blades without anyhollow center stem section;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the mechanism in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar enlarged broken elevation view, partly in section,showing an optional form of driven mechanism wherein gears are employed;

' nite States atent wherein the drive gears are arranged to providespeed reduction from the drive motor.

Now, referring to Fig. 1, I show a conventional washing machine tub 16mounted on a base 11 with an orbital movement dasher 12 within the tub.A drive motor 13 mounted in the base 11, is connected to a conventionalreduction gear case 14 and drives a drive shaft 15 at reduced speed forthe driving of the dasher 12. The drive shaft 15 is mounted in aconventional type of gland bearing base 16 through conventional supportand sealing structure 17-18 as shown. The gland base bearing 16 isprovided with suitable bearings and water seals to provided properlubrication and sealing for the shaft 15.

On the upper end of the shaft 15 is mounted a crank member 19 having acrank pin 20 connected to a base support drive-member 21 as shown. Thedrive-member 21 is secured at its periphery 21b to the periphery of thebase of the dasher 12 and extends across the base of the dasher, asshown in Fig. 1.

At four spaced points, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the dasherdrive-member 21 is supported on four parallel crank members 22 havingthe same throw as the driven crank 19 to support effectively and torotate the dasher base member 21 in the orbital circular movementdetermined by the throw of the supporting crank members 22. It will beappreciated fully of course that the crank members are of the same throwand are arranged in parallel relationship. Thus, all points on the basemember 21 are rotated in a uniform circular path as indicated by thecircles 25 in Fig. 2.

The dasher 12 is mounted on the base member 21 by the support flange 21band the clamping action of nut 26 through the rod 27 and thumb nut 28.Thus the dasher 12 is effectively clamped on the base member 21 and thesupported points of the dasher move uniformly with the base member 21 inthe circular paths 25 as previously described. It will be understood andappreciated that the washer 12 is rotated in an orbital path within thetub 10 without axial rotation.

Now referring to Figs. 3 and 4, I show a variation of my orbital motionmechanism wherein the motor 13 through a belt and pulley drive mechanism29 drives the drive shaft 30 through the bearing gland base 31 attachedto the tub 10 in a conventional manner through nut 33 and gasket 32. Onthe top of the drive shaft 30 is mounted a drive crank 34 having a crankpin 35 rotatably connected in a conventional manner to the dasher basecasting 36. This dasher base casting 36 is supported on the crankmembers 34-35 as well as three similar supporting crank members37-38-439 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. By this structure the cranks 37 ofthe dasher base member 36 are rotated in circular orbital paths 25exactly similar to the paths indicated in Fig. 2, as described above.

It will be appreciated further that the offset drive shaft 30 enablesthe motor 13 to be mounted in a compact manner directly under the washertub while providing ample belt length 29 as shown.

In this optional structure, the dasher 121 has no hollow central stemsection and consists of a flat base 70 with radiating blades 71. It ismounted on the base member 36 by resting on the flange portion 36b whereit is securely held in place by three ball and spring retainer members40-41 with the balls 40 entering into openings 42 in the base of thedasher 12v. These spring retainers securely hold the dasher 12v againstall normal stresses encountered in the washing but permit the dasher tobe removed by a sharp transverse hand stroke. It will be appreciatedthat in this structure the blade section of the dasher 12v must beentirely free of mechanism.

Now referring to Figs. 5 and 6 I show another optional form of myorbital motion mechanism wherein the motor 13 through the coupling 44drives the drive shaft 45 conventionally mounted in a gland base casting46 attached to the tub in a conventional manner by the nut 47 and gasket48. The drive shaft is directly attached to a drive gear 49 meshing withthree driven gears 50, 51 and 52 as clearly shown in Fig. 6. These gearsare rotatably mounted on the base casting 46 by stub shafts 53, 54 and55 as shown. The gears 50, 51 and 52 also carry crank pins 56, 57 and 58eccentrically thereof, respectively, and journaled in the dasher basemember 59 as shown and exactly similar to the structures previouslyexplained for the other dasher base members shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Itwill be fully understood and appreciated that by this structure thecranks that support the dasher base member 59 are rotated in similarorbital paths 25 as previously described and that the dasher 12 is movedin the same orbital path without axial rotation. It will also beunderstood that I may choose any of the gears as the drive gear andelfect similar orbital motion.

Also in this mechanism I have mounted the dasher 12x on the flange 59bof the base member 59 by thumb screws 60 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Thestructure permits the dasher to be securely mounted on the base member59, leaving the interior of the dasher entirely free of mechanism andavailable for any other purpose that may seem proper and convenient.

Now referring to Fig. 6a, I show somewhat diagrammatically on a reducedscale an optional form of gear driving mechanism wherein the drive gear149 is much smaller than the driven gears 150, 151 and 152, thus toaccomplish speed reduction when such reduction is desirable. The drivengears 150, 151 and 152 have similar pivot bearings and crank pins 153and 156, 154 and 157, 155 and 158. Although these gears are driven at aslower speed, the dasher will be driven in exactly a similar manner aspreviously described. Although in the embodiment of Fig. 6a the drivegear 149 is centrally located with respect to the gears 150, 151 and152, it will be understood that the drive gear 149 need not be centrallylocated and, if desired, may only engage one of the follower gears 150,151 and 152 without affecting the path of travel of the dasher 124.

From the foregoing, it Will be appreciated that I have shown anddescribed orbital driving mechanism wherein the mechanism is confined toa narrow area within the base of the dasher closely adjacent the washertub. This base of the dasher leaving the interior of the dasher free ofmechanism and available for any purpose that may seem desirable.

Having thus described my invention, I now claim as new:

1. A washing machine comprising a tub, a drive shaft extending upwardlythrough the bottom of said tub, a drive crank mounted on the driveshaft, a dasher disposed within said tub, a drive connection betweensaid drive crank and said dasher, a plurality of dasher supportingcranks pivotally supported with respect to said tub, said support crankshaving equal throws and said dasher being mounted on said cranks wherebysaid dasher traverses an orbital path Within said tub.

2. A washing machine comprising a tub, a drive shaft extending into saidtub, multiple crank means spaced around the drive shaft, meansconnecting the drive shaft to said crank means to rotate the crank meansin uniform parallel circular paths, a dasher disposed within said tub,and means to mount said dasher on the crank means.

3. A washing machine comprising a tub, a dasher disposed within saidtub, a drive shaft extending upwardly through the bottom of said tub, adrive gear mounted on said drive shaft, and driven gear means havingcrank pins coacting with the drive gear for moving the crank pins inparallel equal movement, said dasher being pivotally mounted on thecrank pins for orbital movement within said tub without axial rotationthereof upon rotation of the drive gear.

4. A washing machine comprising a tub, a dasher disposed within saidtub, a drive shaft extending through the bottom of said tub, a sealinggland bearing base mounted in the bottom of the tub for rotatablysupporting the drive shaft, a drive gear mounted on top of the driveshaft, driven gears having crank pins respectively mounted atcorresponding positions thereon, said driven gears coacting with thedrive gear to move the crank pins in parallel equal cranking movement,and means for rotatably mounting the dasher on the crank pins wherebyupon rotation of the drive gear said dasher traverses a circular pathwith respect to the tub without axial rotation of the dasher.

5. A washing machine comprising a washtub, a drive shaft extendingthrough the bottom of said tub, a sealing gland bearing base mounted inthe bottom of the tub and rotatably supporting the drive shaft, a drivegear mounted on the drive shaft within said tub, a plurality of drivengear means having crank pins mounted thereon, said driven gear meansbeing disposed for coaction with the drive gear to drive the crank pinsin parallel equal cranking movement, and a dasher disposed within saidtub and rotatably mounted on said crank pins for orbital movement withinthe tub without axial rotation thereof upon rotation of the drive gear.

6. A washing machine comprising a tub, a dasher mounted adjacent thebottom of said tub, a stationary base member mounted in the bottom ofsaid tub, a drive shaft extending through the center of said tub and thebase member, a drive gear mounted on said drive shaft, a plurality ofgears meshing with said drive gear, coacting eccentric driving meansmounted on said plurality of gears, means for supporting said dasher,said last mentioned means including bearings engaging the eccentricdriving means, said gears, said eccentric driving means and said meansfor supporting said dasher cooperating with one another to impart abodily orbital movement to the dasher in response to rotation of saiddrive shaft.

7. A clothes washing machine comprising a receptacle, a drive shaftextending into said receptacle, a drive gear mounted on said drive shaftfor rotation therewith, follower gears pivotally supported on saidreceptacle in engagement with said drive gear, a dasher disposed withinsaid receptacle, and connector means pivotally conmeeting said followergears to said dasher at points on said follower gears equally displacedfrom the axes of rotation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4,850Avery Nov. 12, 1846 712,427 Warren Oct. 28, 1902. 2,105,218 Kirby Jan.11, 1938 2,318,759 Crimmel May 11, 1943 2,416,611 Castricone Feb. 25,1947 2,554,573 Johnson May 29, 1951 2,575,988 Altorfer Nov. 20, 1951

